Brizard spoke to a group of parents at a South Side church Sunday afternoon. He said it's important to reach an agreement with the union over merit-pay-allocated funds in order to avoid costing the district in the long-term.
"It's very simple," he said. "I'm getting out the message. Our kids can't afford this. they can't afford not to be in school. teachers need to hear, we're doing everything we can to support them without them i can't be successful."
The teachers' union could not be reached for comment Sunday. On Friday, the union set a strike-authorization vote for this coming Wednesday. That vote does not necessarily mean there would be a strike.
